Deceive
Back home, Zhou Ji'an didn't call Shen Ruoheng again.
Her marriage to Deng Yi wouldn't last long, and she didn't need to build a deep connection with a stranger.
Marketing accounts captured photos and videos of Deng Yi and Yu Xi eating noodles together and then having a meal together at that villa in the east of the city.
Deng Yi's clothes when he ate noodles were different from the clothes he wore for the dinner at the villa.
So he came back to change his clothes?
Zhou Ji'an used carrots, cucumbers, shrimp, and lettuce from the refrigerator, chopped them into small pieces, added some camellia oil, and made a salad, which he ate with the blueberry bagel he had brought back from Lu Jiani.
It's already past seven o'clock, and Deng Yi still hasn't returned.
Based on the information Zhou Ji'an had gathered from the news over the years, the villa in the east of the city was Deng Yi's home.
The house Zhou Ji'an is currently living in is probably one he bought as an investment; apart from essential household appliances, there are no other living necessities inside.
At that time, after Deng Yi confirmed that Zhou Ji'an was willing to register their marriage, he gave Zhou Ji'an the address of this house and asked her to move in as soon as possible.
This house was probably a huge hush money payment from Deng Yi to keep her quiet.
Today, Deng Yi also recorded her promise not to interfere in his life.
Zhou Ji'an cleared his social media search history, returned to his bedroom, found "Why Women Kill" which had been discussed at the symposium that day, and watched it while jogging in place.
When she saw the male protagonist tapping his cup to remind the female protagonist that it was time to pour him coffee, she felt a jolt of nerves.
Deng Yi's father treated his mother the same way.
Then, Zhou Ji'an thought of Deng Yi's words, "If she doesn't want to get rid of herself, no one can help her."
Deng Yi has probably helped his mother many times already.
In order to manage his physical strength and make money, Zhou Ji'an always tries to be in bed before 10 p.m. and never brings his phone to bed.
But after lying in bed today, I couldn't calm down. I kept thinking about the next episode of the TV series and it took me a long time to fall asleep.
After falling asleep, I kept having dreams, with reality and TV drama plots mixed together, which made me anxious and confused.
When I woke up the next morning, I clearly felt that my energy and spirit were not as good as before, and I don't know if it was just psychological.
Deng Yi must have stayed out all night.
That's good, she doesn't have to worry about how to get along with him.
Zhou Ji'an's breakfast was still simple: he steamed a sweet corn, an egg, and made a small bowl of spinach using a water and oil braising method.
She eagerly turned on the TV series she hadn't finished watching last night, comparing the way Deng Yi's parents interacted with that of one of the couples in the show.
The more I watched, the more exciting it became, and the more I felt that the female protagonist, Beth Ann, had deliberately created trouble for herself. When I saw that Beth Ann intended to take revenge, I got excited again.
Because Zhou Ji'an was only interested in the storyline involving the couple Besian, she skipped around and watched very quickly.
While Beth Ann's abusive neighbor was looking for a gun to break into her house, Zhou Ji'an had been sitting in the dining chair for almost two hours.
Her attention was drawn to the plot, and she didn't notice at all that someone had entered the password and walked into the living room.
"What are you looking at?"
A shot rang out.
Zhou Ji'an was startled and couldn't tell for a moment whether he was frightened by the plot or by Deng Yi's sudden return and voice.
There were still corn cobs and eggshells piled up on the plates on the table.
Zhou Ji'an explained, "I just finished breakfast and haven't had time to tidy up yet."
Actually, she had already digested her breakfast.
Deng Yi approached her, but was immediately hurt by her evasive gaze and unfamiliar words.
He stopped and said helplessly, "I was just asking what you were looking at."
Zhou Ji'an had already stood up, closed the tablet, picked up the plate containing food scraps, and replied awkwardly, "It's an American drama recommended by a friend."
"Was it recommended by the friend I met yesterday?" Deng Yi asked again.
"right."
Zhou Ji'an hurriedly hid in the kitchen, turned on the tap, and used the sound of water to ease his embarrassment.
She now feels the awkwardness of living in someone else's house for free but not being hygienic, and being caught red-handed.
"You're going to ruin the dishes by washing them." Deng Yi stood a short distance away, watching for a while. "Why don't you use the tableware I bought?"
Zhou Ji'an turned off the water, wiped the water off the chopsticks and plates, put them in the cupboard, turned around and faced him, saying, "I brought my own tableware, I'm used to using it."
"Aren't you going to ask me why I didn't go home yesterday?" Deng Yi persisted, displaying an aggressive attitude.
"Huh?" Zhou Ji'an asked in surprise, "Didn't we agree not to pry into each other's private lives?"
This guy has so many clothes. Yesterday when they went home, he was wearing a dark green coat. In the photos posted by the marketing account, he was wearing a gray coat. Now he's wearing a brown coat. Every piece is of high quality and you can tell at a glance that they are expensive.
Zhou Ji'an wasn't sure if Deng Yi had grown taller over the years. His height listed on his encyclopedia was consistent with the height she had measured herself, so it shouldn't have changed much.
Even though he was standing in front of her wearing slippers, she still felt a sense of oppression despite having grown a few centimeters taller.
The height difference between them is still significant; she has grown three centimeters taller, but is still only 164 centimeters.
The height difference between him and Yu Xi is just right, one is 185 cm and the other is 169 cm, so they don't look out of place no matter what they do together.
Deng Yi looked dissatisfied with her answer.
Zhou Ji'an could only say, "Your mother called me, and I saw the news."
"Can't you even call me after seeing the news?" The frustration of having all his plans disrupted yesterday carried over to this moment, and Deng Yi had no intention of letting her off easily.
Zhou Ji'an looked at him as he retreated out of the kitchen, not wanting to repeat their previous agreement.
As she prepared to grab her tablet and quickly retreat to her bedroom, Deng Yi caught up with her and strode in front of her, blocking her bedroom door.
Zhou Ji'an could only blame the house for being too big.
Deng Yi said, "Do you think it's normal for a wife not to call her husband even once when he's gone for several hours or even all night?"
It turns out the problem was that she didn't act well enough.
"I'll remember to call next time." Zhou Ji'an took a few steps back, glanced at the time displayed on his tablet, and said, "I need to go out for a bit, please make way."
"You're going out again as soon as I get back?"
Zhou Ji'an reacted for a moment.
He meant that this would allow malicious people to take pictures and then spread rumors that their marriage was in trouble.
"Is someone taking pictures of me secretly?" Actually, Zhou Ji'an felt that as long as Deng Yi didn't appear with her, the chances of her being secretly photographed would be very small, after all, she wasn't a celebrity.
But since he raised such a concern, Zhou Ji'an had to reconsider. "What should I do? I usually go swimming around this time."
Deng Yi's serious and upright expression relaxed a little. "Come back to my home in the east of the city with me."
News reports have mentioned that Deng Yicheng's villa in the east of the city is very luxurious, complete with a swimming pool.
Zhou Ji'an certainly wanted to enjoy himself, but if he went, he would have to spend time alone with Deng Yi.
Besides, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. What if she can't adapt to the public swimming pool in the future?
She was already worried that she might not be able to adapt to life as a renter in the future.
"Then I won't." Zhou Ji'an gritted his teeth and declined. "I'm afraid I won't be able to enjoy this happiness."
Deng Yi finally smiled a little: "Go and try it out first. If you go, you won't have to attend any of our big family gatherings in the future."
Zhou Ji'an wavered, using the last shred of his rationality to ask defensively, "What does a large gathering include?"
"You don't have to attend your parents' or grandparents' birthday banquets, other relatives' weddings and funerals, or even my friends' weddings."
This means that Zhou Ji'an will hardly need to cooperate with Deng Yi in acting anymore in the future.
How can this not be considered a way of striking a snake at its vital point?
"Can I record what you just said?" Zhou Ji'an mimicked.
"Can."
Zhou Ji'an immediately opened the recording app on his tablet, held his hands to his mouth, and said excitedly, "Go ahead and say it."
Deng Yi repeated it again in a cooperative manner.
Because Deng Yi's expression was too happy, even happier than her, the one who benefited, Zhou Ji'an suspected something was amiss. "You haven't already figured out how to back out, have you?"
Deng Yi laughed and said, "Didn't I also record your promise? If I go back on my word, you can just go back on your word too."
He smiled smugly, clearly confident that she would accept this reason.
Zhou Ji'an carefully saved the recording file, then reached out and nudged him, saying, "I'm going to pack my things, please move aside."
Her wrist was grasped by his other hand, loosely circling it with his fingers.
After a while, Zhou Ji'an heard him say, "If you only exercise and don't eat, you won't gain weight."
Zhou Ji'an was only a little lighter than when they were dating; he was definitely not thin.
She wanted to argue with him, but he quickly let go of her hand, touched her head, and said, "Go."
Zhou Ji'an had always thought that Deng Yi was a master of romance, or at least a master of physical contact.
While Wei Jinglin's other statements are unreliable, his claim that Deng Yi had dated several girlfriends might be somewhat credible.
The impact of news photos is far less than that of seeing it with your own eyes.
Zhou Ji'an stood at the door for a few seconds, then blurted out, "You used all the money you earned to buy a house?"
"This house was given to us by my grandparents." Deng Yi smiled, opened the door, and carried their luggage ahead. "How about we exercise after lunch?"
It's already noon, so he definitely needs to eat and exercise. Besides, he clearly brought half of the ingredients from that house, so it's obvious he's planning to cook.
Zhou Ji'an gradually couldn't understand Deng Yi's intentions.
Zhou Ji'an had only brought a swimsuit and toiletries, but Deng Yi suddenly knocked on the door and reminded her to bring office supplies and preferably a change of clothes.
When the two of them are alone, they don't need to act, so I don't know why he went to all this trouble to have her come to this house.
“There are two bedrooms on the first floor. One is where my grandparents used to live, and the other is mine.” Deng Yi put down his luggage. “You have to sleep upstairs.”
After Deng Yi finished speaking, he lowered his eyes to observe Zhou Ji'an's expression and, sure enough, saw a hint of fear on her face.
"I'll go back after I finish exercising," Zhou Ji'an muttered. "It's not far."
Zhou Ji'an had an inexplicable fear of villas in big cities. He always felt that people who owned such assets were somewhat superstitious, had made enemies or committed sins, and that their houses were not very clean.
But she suspected that Deng Yi had arranged it this way on purpose.
"Would you like to share a room with me?" Deng Yi asked.
He asked the question casually, as if they were meant to share a room.
Zhou Ji'an didn't share a room with Deng Yi very often, even though they had dated before.
In total, it only takes three times.
The first time was during a torrential downpour in Jishi. Zhou Ji'an, who worked part-time at Deng Yi's studio, couldn't return to school and was taken in by Deng Yi for the night. After that night, they became boyfriend and girlfriend.
The second time was when Deng Yi took Zhou Ji'an on a trip to an island, and the two stayed in a room with a view of the sea.
The third time was on their wedding night. To avoid others discovering anything amiss in their marriage, Deng Yi did not agree to let Zhou Ji'an sleep on the sofa.
Now they seem to have encountered a situation where they have to share a bedroom again, but they are not in a relationship where they can share a bedroom.
You can't knowingly let your emotions and actions run rampant when you know the marriage is full of transactions.
Zhou Ji'an: "I'll take a taxi back later."
Deng Yi: "The water in the swimming pool needs to be heated, which will take at least a day."
I felt like I had been kidnapped.
Zhou Ji'an said angrily, "Why didn't you tell me back then?"
"If I told you, would you come?" Deng Yi's words left her speechless.
Zhou Ji'an grew increasingly angry and rushed in front of him to grab his luggage, but was pushed away.
Deng Yi pulled her into his arms with one hand, controlling his racing heartbeat, and said, "I promise I won't do anything."
Zhou Ji'an's worries have come true.
About three days after she and Deng Yi reached an agreement, while lying in bed trying to distinguish between reality and dreams, she suddenly realized that she and Deng Yi had not discussed "sex".
On the one hand, she felt that since their marriage was fake, there was no need to talk about it; on the other hand, she was afraid to talk about it, and she always felt that something would happen naturally, just like how their relationship naturally developed from that of boss and part-time worker to that of boyfriend and girlfriend.
The coat's fabric was too comfortable, and Zhou Ji'an was infatuated, breathless, and his mind became muddled: "I can't guarantee I won't do anything."
Deng Yi unconsciously tightened his grip on her shoulder, taking the opportunity to bring up something they had previously overlooked: "We are both healthy adults, both physically and mentally, and we can do it."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Ji'an began to struggle, but Deng Yi held him tightly.
Having witnessed his immense strength, Zhou Ji'an dared not move again.
Her words were meant to scare him, but she momentarily forgot his masculine nature.
No man would be intimidated by such a threat.
"I'm hungry," Zhou Ji'an said softly.
Deng Yi had finally found a suitable opportunity, and he was unwilling to let it slip by. "Once a week is fine."
"I want to go home." Zhou Ji'an was nervous; if she gave in, their relationship would become complicated.
He can separate sex from love, but she can't, and doesn't want to.
Deng Yi pressed his advantage: "Three times a week."
"Hey." Zhou Ji'an buried his face tightly in his chest, his hands hanging at his sides, clenched into fists and punching his waist.
“This is a normal need. We’re bound by marriage, and because of my special status, neither of us can find anyone else, so naturally we can only solve this problem for each other,” Deng Yi coaxed patiently. “We dated before, so we have a certain emotional foundation, right?”
Zhou Ji'an was in a state of confusion, unable to distinguish which of his words were acting lines and which came from the bottom of his heart.
At the same time, she felt wronged, because she was the one who initiated the breakup, so she shouldn't feel so aggrieved.
But whenever she thought about how Deng Yi hadn't even tried to persuade or pester her, she felt that she was actually dispensable to him.
He's now focused on using sweet talk to trick her into sleeping with him.
"Is that kind of thing really that important?" Zhou Ji'an suppressed a sob.
“It depends on the situation.” Deng Yi tried to lead her to sit on the sofa, but as soon as he moved, she grabbed his clothes tightly. “Given our current situation, that kind of thing is very important.”
Zhou Ji'an searched through the various pieces of information and opinions stored in his mind, trying to break free from his deception.
“This is unfair. You have a need that I need to help you solve. But if I really help you solve it, I will have to risk getting infected with diseases or getting an unplanned pregnancy. You are always the one who benefits.”
Deng Yi simply wrapped his arms around her, rested his chin on the top of her head, and slowly replied, "We can go for checkups together and show each other the reports. If you're still worried, you can have checkups regularly."
"As for the issue of unplanned pregnancy, I promise to take precautions every time, and I can also get a tubal ligation."
Zhou Ji'an suspected he had been planning all along; she felt completely manipulated and was so angry she was breathing heavily. "I don't like it..."
“I know you don’t like artistic people like me,” Deng Yi interrupted her, hugging her tightly. “But this kind of thing isn’t something only people who like sports do.”
What Zhou Ji'an actually wanted to say was that she didn't like doing that kind of thing.
She didn't like doing that kind of thing when she and Deng Yi had no feelings for each other whatsoever.
Deng Yi was hurt again by her sudden silence and said defiantly, "I just don't have a favorite sport, it's not like I don't like sports."
He looked completely determined to win.
The house was empty, and so was Zhou Ji'an's heart.
She asked sadly, "What can I get in return?"
Whether it's this fake marriage or what he wants to do now, what can Zhou Ji'an gain from it?
"I told you, I can give you anything."
Zhou Ji'an's face was burning hot from the heat of his chest, while the rest of his face felt icy cold.
She didn't believe what Deng Yi said when he was negotiating with her; it sounded too fake.
If he had contacted her all these years, she could convince herself to believe it, but he simply hadn't.
Besides, perhaps he only meant that he could unconditionally meet her material needs.
Zhou Ji'an tentatively asked, "If I want the house I live in now, can you give it to me too?"
Deng Yi replied without hesitation, "Okay."
"You men will promise anything to get a woman to sleep with you." Zhou Ji'an was disappointed and couldn't control his emotions, so he continued to probe: "I want you... everything you have, can you give me that too?"
Because it was a minor emotional outburst, reason was able to keep him in check, ensuring that Zhou Ji'an promptly addressed the key points of the statement.
Deng Yi: "As long as you don't divorce me, what's mine is yours."
After standing and haggling for so long, Zhou Ji'an gradually felt tired, and his tense nerves slowly relaxed. "I want to sit down for a while."
Deng Yi put one arm around her waist and gently pulled her up, causing Zhou Ji'an's feet to dangle in the air while her hands naturally gripped his shoulders.
Deng Yi then carried her directly to the sofa and let her lie in his arms.
"Does this feel better?" Deng Yi gently rubbed her waist.
Zhou Ji'an and Deng Yi's relationship lasted very short time, less than ninety days, and they didn't have time to do many things.
Their most intimate act is kissing.
"How many people have you fooled using this method?" Zhou Ji'an braced his hands against his chest, not daring to move.
“I’ve fooled her a few times, but I haven’t succeeded yet.” Deng Yi opened his large hands and pressed her towards him little by little.
"Why didn't it work? Did they see through your trick?" Zhou Ji'an said, thinking of the idiom "whispering in each other's ears."
Her ears were almost bleeding from Deng Yi's head, which he was deliberately moving around on and off, and her body trembled with each movement.
Deng Yi suppressed the urge to be completely honest and emphasized, "Because I'm not liked by people."
The hands on her waist moved, increasing the pressure of the kneading, and even seemed to be moving downwards.
Zhou Ji'an hunched his back in unbearable discomfort.
The hands that had been supporting Deng Yi's chest quickly clenched together, and she said in a trembling voice, "These kinds of words are professional jargon for men like you, used to gain women's... sympathy."
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